Peak Bloom Update! - Determining the peak bloom date requires checking both the forecast and where the trees are in the blooming process. The indicator tree is in full bloom & with temps forecast for the upper 70s this weekend, we now predict peak bloom will occur April 1! pic.twitter.com/OiRuecocu9

With the recent onset of springlike weather, Washington’s famed cherry blossoms’ buds are inching ever closer to the promised land of peak bloom.

On Monday, they reached “peduncle elongation,” which is the penultimate stage before the Tidal Basin is overwhelmed by both magnificent flowering trees and an onslaught of tourists.

Peak bloom generally occurs about six to 10 days after this stage in which the stalks of the cherry blossoms extend and nascent flowers, though closed, are visible. It follows the “extension of florets” stage, which was reached Friday.

While temperatures could dip to near freezing on Wednesday morning, we do not see any cold weather intense enough to damage the blossoms in the coming bloom period.

Before achieving peak bloom, the blossoms must pass through the “puffy white” stage, the fifth of six in the cycle. At this stage, the flowers begin to open. Usually, this happens about four to six days after peduncle elongation.

While chilly weather is expected Tuesday into Wednesday this week, which may slow the flowering process, mild temperatures rising from the 60s into the 70s Thursday through Saturday mean the blossoms will probably turn puffy white by the weekend. It will be a great weekend to head down to the Tidal Basin for a first look.

Peak bloom, the final stage, is reached when 70 percent of the cherry blossoms flower along the Tidal Basin.

Right now, Capital Weather Gang’s forecast for peak bloom (issued in early March) between April 1 and 5, centered on April 3, seems right on target. The National Park Service’s peak bloom forecast between April 3 and 6 also seems on track, although probably closer to the early side of the window.

Since records began in 1921, the average peak bloom date has advanced about five days earlier in the year as March temperatures have warmed. Although the recent 30-year average date of peak bloom is March 31, the average peak bloom date from 1921 to 1950 was April 4.

The earliest peak bloom on record occurred March 15, 1990, while the latest was April 18, 1958.

Jason SamenowJason Samenow is The Washington Post’s weather editor and Capital Weather Gang's chief meteorologist. He earned a master's degree in atmospheric science and spent 10 years as a climate change science analyst for the U.S. government. He holds the Digital Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association. Follow